Environmental remediation at aging ports: A practical approach to managing legacy contamination
Tony Hoffman and Brian Moore examine how ports can manage environmental contamination while modernizing aging infrastructure in The Maritime Executive. As Railway Remediation Project Director and Manager of Contamination Assessment and Remediation at GHD, they share practical approaches to environmental remediation that keep operations running.
The article addresses the dual challenge ports face when replacing infrastructure built on properties with more than a century of heavy industrial use. Common contaminants like arsenic from dredged sediments and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons require careful management during infrastructure upgrades through soil management plans, dewatering protocols and air monitoring.
Tony and Brian discuss how risk management approaches often prove more practical than physical remediation, particularly when costs or operational impacts make complete cleanup unfeasible. They share insights from Port Everglades, where GHD provided environmental support during replacement of 9,000 linear feet of aging deep water bulkheads while managing soil contamination and designing for 4.36 feet of sea level rise by 2095.
The key is maintaining awareness of contamination so proper planning can occur when excavation or dewatering is needed. Many ports now incorporate contamination information within GIS systems, allowing project coordinators to generate soil and groundwater management plans for contractors working in known contaminated areas.
Read the full article in The Maritime Executive: Environmental remediation at aging ports: A practical approach to managing legacy contamination
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GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 165 offices located on five continents.